Monday, February 2, 2015

Max Buchholz in Front of Bf 109 Fighter Aircraft

Luftwaffe ace Oberfeldwebel Max Buchholz from 1.Staffel / I.Gruppe / Jagdgeschwader 3 (JG 3) in front of a Messerschmitt Bf 109 E-5 in France, 1940. On 17 May 1940, he claimed four RAF Blenheim twin-engine bombers and two French Curtiss fighters shot down as his first victories! During September 1940, Buchholz shot down three RAF fighters in the aerial battles over Britain. On 15 September, Buchholz was shot down over the Channel. He had participated as one of nine aircraft tasked with escorting He 111 twin-engine bombers to London. However, RAF Spitfire fighters intercepted the formation en-route. In the ensuing aerial combat, Buchholz’s Bf 109 E-1 (W.Nr. 1563) was hit in the radiators and forced him to come down in the Channel. Fortunately, a colleague was able to guide an air-sea rescue aircraft, which was flying nearby, to the scene to rescue Buchholz. By the conclusion of the Battle of Britain, Buchholz’s victory total stood at nine. In the end of the war, Max Buchholz was credited with 28 victories, although other sources indicate his score could be as high as 30. He recorded 18 victories over the Eastern Front